Wayne Rooney has shared his belief that the training ground incident between England head coach Thomas Tuchel and Tottenham defender Djed Spence was a deliberate act. The moment, which saw Tuchel shout 'Djed, Djed, Djed wake up! Wake up!' during a media-open training session, has gone viral on social media.
Rooney's analysis of the incident
Speaking as a BBC pundit ahead of England's World Cup clash with Ghana, Rooney said: 'I think that was intended. I think for Thomas Tuchel, you have the open session, you have the 15 minutes which the press are allowed in for, and very rarely do you see the manager coaching the team in that. You see them doing the box playing stuff, but I think that was intended, and that was a message sent to the media and to the fans, but also to his players.'
Rooney's comments suggest Tuchel used the public session to send a clear signal about his expectations for the squad, particularly for Spence, who was starting the match against Ghana.
Spence's response to Tuchel's demands
Djed Spence himself addressed the incident in an interview with talkSPORT, defending his manager. 'It's normal. He's a great manager. He wants the best from his players. He demands high standards and for this tournament, we need to be ready, we need to be on it,' Spence said. 'Every session needs to be of the highest quality. That's what he demands. It's good. I wouldn't be the only one he says it to. It's part of the game.'
Spence further praised Tuchel's leadership: 'I think he's a great manager, he's a great guy. Very detailed in what he wants to do. I've got great respect for him. It's like what he always says, we're building a family, we've built a brotherhood within the team, everyone has one dream, one brain. I think everyone is on the same path. We can do special things. I think he's built that environment with this squad.'
Spence's role and other headlines
Spence, who had come on as a late substitute in England's opening group game against Croatia, was named in the starting lineup for the Ghana match, replacing Nico O'Reilly. Before the game even kicked off, Spence made headlines by refusing to shake the hand of Ghana's Thomas Partey.
England struggled in the first half against Ghana, failing to register a single shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.
A message to the squad and fans
Rooney's interpretation of the incident underscores Tuchel's reputation for meticulous preparation and direct communication. By using the open session to publicly correct Spence, Tuchel may have aimed to reinforce his high standards not only to the player but also to the media and supporters, setting the tone for England's World Cup campaign.
